8 Nov 1995 Day 85

This is a diary entry, but before I relate it, I need to point out something.

At this stage of my assignment, or really, as a volunteer with the Agency, there was a general consciousness about money. While some of the Agency's partners were able to pay volunteer's allowances, some were not, and the Agency stepped in to cover the cost and paid the volunteer direct. A volunteer should never get rich on the allowance - a rich person in a poor community would always be a target - the allowance was a living allowance, no more, no less. We were aware of this before we left NZ and were happy. It was low, but it taught us to be conscious of our spending. We could only afford meat twice a week. Well you see that is wrong too. That is Wazungu meat. Had we known about the local village markets, we would not have bought those expensive sausages. But we were copying from our peers and knew no better at that stage.

The other thing was; we were told, and tourists are told that they must barter, and among the Wazungu community there was an element of one-up-manship at taking down the local traders. Hello! what is this? First world expats taking down third world traders!

I have been there and done that - taking a small trader down by Tsh25/-, then about NZD0.30!

Regardless of the fact that a local would have bought the item for what I had negotiated, the fact is who needed the Tsh25/- most?

Now there is a time and place and touts will try to rob you blind selling curios if they can. You just need to be conscious. I was hiring trucks, the driver opening offer might be Tsh100 000/- and I would negotiate them down to 30 000. Or buying timber, or charcoal - get an idea first and then negotiate. But the women in the fruit stalls - give them an extra few shillings!

So now from my diary.

Oh dear, I had the run around trying to get my drivers licence! Of course I have a NZ one, and an International one - for anywhere else in the world - but I have to have a special one for Tanzania. I now have that licence; Class C which entitles me to drive anything with a motor!

Anyway, I walked down to the AICC building and went into the Ngorongoro Wing, window #3 and presented: My filled in form,my NZ licence, my International licence, passport, two passport photos and the Tsh4000/-.

'You need a photocopy of your passport and your International licence' I was told by the woman behind the window. She seemed surly through constant dealings with people!

'Where do I go to do that?' I asked her.

'Around the corner,' she indicated, 'straight ahead and then around the next corner.' Tanzanian direction are often hard to follow but her's were good.

It was a chemist shop with a photocopier and they were used to this. - 3 pages for 250/-! I was was agape at the price, but I decided to photocopy the application form too, and lucky I did!

Back to the woman at window #3 who looked over the papers and told me to go to Room 037 and pointed to it. The secretary/receptionist was a happy-go-lucky woman who seemed to talk to everyone but me! Finally though she gave me the nod to go into the inner room.

This woman was friendly enough, but her demeanor showed that she had some rank. I sat down and pushed the papers over to her. She looked them over and wrote on top of the form and placed an official stamp across her writing. Provisional licence, driving test, Class C licence.

She told me that they charge for the test, but don't have one, so the total cost is Tsh8200/-! I was told it would cost 4000 and I only had 4500 with me! I explained this, hoping she would let me off [don't know why I would expect that!]. She told me to go and get the rest!

I decided to try the woman at window #3! But she told me that I should return to her window with the money. She gave me a pole [sorry], and said they were closing soon for the day.

I hurried back to the Agency office and Mo loaned me the 4000 that I needed. I ran back to window #3! I was getting edgy because when time was up, no question, they would shut up shop!

There was a line and some guy who seemed unable to spell was holding the woman's attention. Even when finally, I was next in line, people would push in or over to catch her attention. So I widened my shoulders!

Finally my turn came and I had no further problem.

It was a lesson for me in how to deal with authority and how patience is something that must be shown.

Josiah and Missy had been talking while I was away - about how Hifadhi was going, and Josiah asked me to type up a file note. I did file notes after meetings with Big E and Round L - just to keep things straight.

The note went thus.

The general result of the seminars [Big E's] were unsatisfactory and awareness [of environmental issues] was not what it should have been.

It is time we were doing less in the nursery and more in the villages. We need proper planning.

More effort should be placed in finishing the Hifadhi Office/Store and tidy it up.

I had been talking to Missy about this and to Big E - the funding was coming and all this would eventuate.